Parental anxiety is ruining playtime

Valerie Strauss:

It is well known that many preschool parents have become super-anxious trying to give their kids a leg up on kindergarten, but I didn’t realize just how nutty things had become until I talked to several dozen preschool program directors.
What child development experts know is that youngsters best learn the fundamentals of literacy through well-designed play. But lots of parents don’t understand that. Here is what’s going on in the preschool world of the greater Washington region and, I have no doubt, in other places across the country as well.
Parents are: